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1. Abortion Consent Laws Also Cut Teen STD Rates – October 16, 2007
By Pete Winn; CNSNews.com Staff Writer – October 16, 2007
(CNSNews.com) – State parental involvement laws are effective in reducing the incidence of risky sexual behaviour among teenagers. That's the conclusion of a study to be published in January in the Journal of Law, Economics and Organization.
Florida State University law professor Jonathan Klick said the incidence of at least one sexually transmitted disease (STD) – teen gonorrhoea – is dramatically reduced in states that have laws requiring minors to first notify a parent or seek permission before having an abortion.
Tracking the incidence of gonorrhoea, said Klick, is a good yardstick for measuring risky sexual behaviour among teens.
"We actually see the teenage gonorrhoea rate drop by about 10 to 15 percent relative to the non-teenage gonorrhoea rate," Klick told Cybercast News Service.
Klick and Thomas Stratmann, professor of economics at George Mason University, looked at statistics compiled over a 20-year period by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to see if teens altered their behaviour after such laws were implemented. The results vary by ethnic group.
"For white and Hispanic teenage women -- on the order of a 20 percent reduction -- but we don't find anything nearly that large in the black gonorrhoea rates," he added.
Klick said he wasn't trying to decide whether such laws are good or bad -- just whether they had an impact on behaviour.
"We're able to use the passage and repeal of parental involvement laws for abortions to basically look at how teenagers respond to the change in the cost of risky sex," Klick said.
"What we were looking at was this model of rational choice of human behaviour (and whether it is even applicable for the subpopulation of teenagers. And our results would suggest that it is," he said. "We chose gonorrhoea rates because they are good indicators of teen (risky) behaviour -- the CDC has kept fairly extensive statistics over the last two decades for all 50 states.
"We can't tell from the research whether they simply are having less sex or are being more fastidious in condom use, but there is a definite change in risky behaviour," he said.
Shepherd Smith, president of the Institute for Youth Development, said the study confirms what might seem to be a common-sense notion.
"Young people do not want to be in a position where they have to tell their parents that they have been sexually active," Smith told Cybercast News Service. "They especially don't want them to know if the sexual activity was also risky -- meaning they had multiple partners or they were not careful, or there might be alcohol or drugs involved. Kids don't want to be put on that kind of hot seat."
But Concerned Women for America President Wendy Wright said she believes the study is further confirmation that parental-consent laws actually work.
"Not only do they reduce the number of abortions, as we have found out from other studies, this study shows that they additionally reduce the number of cases of sexually transmitted diseases among young people -- that's important," she said.
A Heritage Foundation study released in February found that parental involvement laws have been a major factor in a reduction of abortion rates among teen girls over the last 20 years. Since 1985, abortion has dropped by 50 percent among girls between 13 and 17 years of age -- from 13.5 abortions for every 1,000 girls in 1985 to just 6.5 per 1,000 girls in 1999.
Forty-four states currently have parental involvement laws, according to the Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Those laws say a teen must inform a parent (or legal guardian) or seek permission before an abortion is performed.
Twenty-four states have parental consent laws, meaning at least one parent must give permission -- or, in some cases, a judge -- for the abortion to be performed.
Those states are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
Ten states – Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, South Dakota and West Virginia – have statutes that require minors to notify parents before they can have an abortion.
Judges in nine states have blocked the laws from taking effect pending further legal challenges. Alaska, California, Idaho and New Mexico all have consent laws that have been blocked, though New Mexico's law is blocked by the attorney general.
Notification laws have been blocked by courts in Illinois, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire and New Jersey.
Six states currently have no parental involvement laws: Connecticut, Hawaii, New York, Oregon, Vermont, Washington and the District of Columbia.
Calls to the Center for Reproductive Rights and Planned Parenthood, both of which oppose laws that restrict a minor's access to abortion, were not returned by press time.
Make media inquiries or request an interview with Pete Winn.
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E-mail a comment or news tip to Pete Winn.
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Copyright 1998-2006 Cybercast News Service
2. Abortion Just Plain Wrong – By Mandy Larade 13 Of Courtenay – October 17, 2007
Dear editor,
This is responding to "Practise what you Preach" in Friday's paper.
I am not trying to judge the lady who wrote the previous letter, but I am against abortion itself not the women who have chosen to do so.
In my opinion, abortion is basically murder. To take the life away of a baby who is unborn and completely innocent is just wrong. Think of the potential all the aborted babies would have each one of them is a gift and to destroy such amazing parts of Creation is definitely not humane.
Does the Hippocratic Oath not say, "I will prescribe regimens for the good of my patients according to my ability and my judgment and never do harm to anyone."
I'm sure "anyone" refers to babies, too. I understand that she didn't want her "innocent, defenceless child subjected to the horrors" of the world, but babies are innocent and defenceless to abortion, aren't they? What kind of an example is this for generations to come?
In defence of the protesters, they were standing up for what they believe in, just like many people do.
If people didn't stand up for what they believe in where do you think we would be today?
I doubt these people were against the women who have chosen to have an abortion, but that they were against the act of abortion. From what I understand, the "Jesus Forgives All" sign was directed to those who have had an abortion because Jesus can forgive anything anybody has done.
I would also like to point out that there are places to help with difficult pregnancies and that abortion is not the only option. Having an abortion is a major step, something that could haunt you for the rest of your life. How about giving a baby a chance in life? Each one has a purpose.
Finally, I would like to end this by saying that I am but a young 13-year-old girl who is a believer and follower of Jesus Christ and who is standing up for what she believes in. Disregarding religion, I think I have a valid point saying that abortion is wrong.
I understand that I might not be able to change the world's choices based on this topic, but if there is one person out there who will have the courage to change, that's good enough for me.
So tell me, is there really a difference between murder and abortion?
3. Almost Three-Quarters Of Canadians Support Foetal Protection Law, Poll Says – October 19, 2007
Seventy-two percent of Canadians polled in an Environics poll commissioned by LifeCanada/VieCanada say they would support legislation making it a separate crime to injure or kill a foetus during an attack on the mother. Among women, 75% supported the legislation.
The Focus Canada poll of 2,047 Canadians was conducted between September 17 and October 14, with a margin of error of ±2.2% nineteen times out of twenty.
There have been five pregnant women murdered in Canada in the past three years, the most recent being Aysun Sesen, 25, of Toronto. She and her seven-month foetus died after she was stabbed in the abdomen. Her husband has been charged with second-degree murder. However, under Canadian law the foetus is not recognized as a human being until it is born so police cannot charge perpetrators with murder of the unborn baby.
Families of the women have repeatedly called for legislation to recognize the crime committed when the foetus is murdered or injured. Yesterday the family of Aysun Sesen reiterated that demand. Aydin Cocelli, Ms. Sesen’s brother-in-law, said he has requested a meeting with Prime Minister Harper to ask for a change in the law.
“Almost three-quarters of Canadians want a law to protect these babies,” said LifeCanada President Joanne Byfield. “They recognize that the foetus is a human being no matter what the law says and they see it as an
injustice that someone can kill these babies with impunity while attacking the mother.”
Byfield noted that an earlier law which declared women were not “persons” for the purpose of being appointed to the Senate was overturned in October 1929. “The law can be wrong. It was found to be so in the Persons case and it is in this case too,” she said. “It is incumbent on the government and the people of Canada to correct this injustice.”
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For more information, contact Joanne Byfield, 780-445-0344 or Gudrun Schultz 613-722-1552.
4. Anti-Abortion Crusader To Be Sworn In As NS Judge – October 18, 2007
The Fredericton Daily Gleaner - 2007.10.18
Anti-abortion crusader to be sworn in as N.S. judge – By Sue Bailey, The Canadian Press
Opposition justice critics say the swearing in next week of a former Tory MP and anti-abortion crusader is proof the federal Conservatives want to stack the courts with right-wing friends. Lawrence O'Neil, an MP from 1984 to 1988, is to be sworn in Tuesday to the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia.
On April 28, 1987, the legal aid lawyer told the House of Commons: "Unborn children across this country are being suctioned from the womb by women who want to put an end to their pregnancy. Those children are being dismembered." The official Hansard transcripts of proceedings also quote O'Neil as saying on July 27, 1988: "It appears that there is widespread acceptance of the notion that a mother should have the right to control her body. There is no such right." In 1985, O'Neil moved to introduce a bill to amend the Criminal Code to require that every unborn child be represented by legal counsel at therapeutic abortion committees across the country.
O'Neil declined through a court spokesman to be interviewed.
A spokeswoman for Justice Minister Rob Nicholson said that O'Neil is well qualified to serve on the bench. "Political affiliation, contributions to political parties, charitable or advocacy groups, or personal beliefs should not be a bar to judicial appointment," said Genevieve Breton in an e-mailed response. "Each and every of the 118 judicial appointments to the Canadian judiciary made by our government reflects the tangible embodiment of the principles of judicial appointments based on merit and legal excellence."
Liberal MP and justice critic Marlene Jennings called O'Neil's pending judgeship a "scary" development. "Mr. O'Neil's appointment by the Conservatives frightens me as a woman, and I think should frighten the overwhelming majority of women in Canada," she said in an interview. "It's an affront and an attack on our equality rights." "The pattern shaping up is that they're looking for people who share an extreme, right-wing agenda that Harper obviously shares," Jennings said. "And they're doing it by stealth."
Harper has said he would not introduce legislation on abortion. One way to get around that, Jennings says, "is appoint like-minded people to judgeships in the hopes that the decisions and jurisprudence they create begins to cut away and erode the rights that have been established" under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
"It's quite clear that their attempt to politicize the judiciary is an ongoing one," said NDP justice critic Joe Comartin. Taking an anti-abortion or pro-choice stance shouldn't preclude someone from being named a judge, he said. But he says Canada lacks a strong enough selection process to ensure qualified candidates are independently vetted for their ability to set aside strongly held personal views as they apply the law.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper's perception of a Liberal-dominated judiciary has long been known. He went so far in the last days of the 2006 election campaign as to suggest his power would be curbed - even if he won a majority - by appointed senators, judges and civil servants who owe their jobs to Liberal governments.
After winning power, the Conservatives were criticized for recasting the judicial advisory committees that gave arm's-length recommendations on judicial appointments. New positions on the provincial committees were created for police representatives, and the right to vote was stripped from committee heads. The Conservatives shrugged off retired judges, the Canadian Bar Association and law societies who urged a reversal of changes that give Ottawa a dominant hand in the selection process, said Jennings. Nicholson has defended the tweaking as an effort to "expand the range of input the government receives about candidates for the bench, providing a fresh perspective in the process."
O'Neil's swearing-in comes just over a year after the appointment of David Brown to Ontario's Superior Court. It also made waves in some sectors because the Toronto lawyer was seen as a far-right former representative of such socially conservative groups as Focus on the Family and REAL Women of Canada. Brown's defenders pointed out that, even in the unlikely case his personal values influenced his legal rulings, such viewpoints are flotsam in a sea of Liberal appointees.
Also appears in:
Anti-abortion judge raises ire; Opposition calls N.S. Supreme Court appointment an attempt to stack courts (The Daily News (Halifax), 2007/10/18, Sue Bailey, page: 15)
Supreme Court appointee's anti-abortion views draw fire (The Chronicle-Herald, 2007/10/18, Sue Bailey)
Tories putting extremists on bench, Grit says (The Hamilton Spectator, 2007/10/18, page: A7)
Former Tory MP, an anti-abortion crusader, to be sworn in as judge (The Record (Kitchener, Cambrid, 2007/10/18, page: A3)
5. Chimeras, Great Britain, And The Brave New World - October 15, 2007
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6. CitizenLink – Teen Sues Her School For Rejecting Pro-Life Club – October 11, 2007
http://www.citizenlink.org/content/A000005626.cfm7. Conservative Government Urged To Recognize Unborn Victims Of Violence – October 17, 2007
Campaign Life Coalition Calls on Prime Minister Harper to Address
Concerns of Sesen Family and Unborn Victims of Violence Bill
Issued today by Campaign Life Coalition http://www.campaignlifecoalition.com/.
Conservative Government Urged to Recognize Unborn Victims of Violence
MEDIA ADVISORY, Oct. 17 /Christian Newswire/ – Media reports indicate that the family of Toronto homicide victim, Aysun Sesen, are asking for a meeting with Prime Minister Stephen Harper to appeal for Sesen's daughter, who was killed in utero in her seventh month, to be declared a human being. They are calling for changes to the laws that prevent her boyfriend Turan Cocelli from being charged with two murders.
"We support the family's reasonable request for their grandchild to be recognized as the second victim in this murder," said Jim Hughes, National President of Campaign Life Coalition. "Coincidentally, today in Alberta, closing arguments are being heard in the trial of Jared Baker who is accused of murdering his pregnant girlfriend, Olivia Talbot and her unborn child in 2005. This case prompted Conservative MP Leon Benoit to bring forward a private members bill on the unborn victims of violence. If this bill had passed the murder of both of these babies would be recognized," he continued.
"It appeared from media reports in the Sesen case that the father directed his aim at the mother's abdomen and in the Talbot case, Baker testified that he shot Olivia five times including deliberately at her stomach 'to get the baby'," said Mary Ellen Douglas, National Organizer of CLC. "How much more evidence is necessary for the courts, the Prime Minister and the general public to recognize two victims in both of these crimes?"
Campaign Life Coalition calls on the Prime Minister to hear the request from the Sesen family and to re-evaluate the hasty removal of the unborn victims of violence bill.
Media contacts:
Mary Ellen Douglas, CLC National Organizer, Kingston, ON 613-389-4472
Marie Christine Houle, CLC Toronto Office 416-204- 9749
Source: http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/79484514.html
8. Debate Flies Over 'Sex Play' In Kindergartens – October 19, 2007
A specialist in early childhood education in Oslo is giving new meaning to the term "sexual games," and stirring widespread debate.
Aftenposten – October 19, 2007
Norwegians woke up Tuesday morning to news that a respected Oslo pre-school teacher, backed by child psychologists, thinks children should be allowed to openly express their own sexuality, not least through sex play and games in the local day care centers known as ‘barnehager,’ or kindergartens.
The vast majority of Norwegians send their children from the age of one to the kindergartens, where they spend their days until they begin school at age six.
Pia Friis, leader of the popular Bjerkealleen Barnehage in Oslo and a well-known pre-school educator, told newspaper ‘Dagbladet’ on Tuesday that children should be allowed to express their own sexuality at daycare centers. She doesn't want to stifle what comes naturally.
http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article2050710.ece
9. Defying The Norms Of Hollywood Comes Bella, From Metanoia Films – October 21, 2007
Defying the norms of Hollywood comes Bella, from Metanoia Films. A profound illustration of the Impact one life can have on another, Bella, is the story of José, a washed up pro athlete, who reaches out to Nina, a young waitress whose world is crashing down around her; a story of healing as both grapple with life-changing decisions in the midst of the unexpected, while an innocent life hangs in the balance.
For more information http://www.bellathemovie.com/site/#/film/synopsis/
10. Focus On The Family’s Keeping The Faith In Scary Times – November 2, 2007
How do you keep calm and spiritually cool in such chaotic times that we’re experiencing? – by Roberta Rand Caponey
A disturbed, young student unleashes his irrational, pent-up fury on fellow students, killing 31 before putting the gun to his own head . . .
A Mickey Mouse look-alike spouts hate-filled jihadist rhetoric to a classroom of Muslim preschoolers . . .
Genocide in Darfur once more instructs on the incomprehensible hatred that drives one people to systematically annihilate another . . .
The bad news is unrelenting. On TV and over the Internet we are bombarded with stories of corruption, cruelty and murder on a global scale. Paul’s exhortation to “put on the full armour of God . . . (Eph. 6:11 NIV)” takes on new urgency for Christians desiring to be salt and light in a world coming apart at the seams. But how do you stay grounded in your faith amidst the din of so much horror and pain?
Take Shelter in God’s Word
In our post-modern American culture, the word “truth” is now uttered in the lower case – viewed as subjective. With truth reduced to just another matter of personal preference, it’s no wonder people feel the earth shifting under their feet. Jesus’ words in Luke 21:33 contain a message of hope we can all carry within us – “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away (NIV).” For those who yearn to feel a sense of permanence in the shadow of so much impermanence, the answer is as near as your Bible. A wonderful old hymn states simply:
Upon the solid rock I stand. All other ground is sinking sand
By reclaiming Truth with a capital “T,” and steeping ourselves in God’s Word, we can remain grounded despite the chaos and confusion swirling around us.
Take Comfort in Family
Now more than ever, families need to draw together for support and comfort. Husband and wives, parents and children should be seeking each other help to process events they witness on television and in their world. Parents: take special care with impressionable young children. Don’t leave the news on as background noise during mealtimes. Guard your children from over-exposure to reports about war and terrorism. At the same time, use world events as a springboard for prayer and discussion about what both kids and adults can do individually to express Jesus’ love to others.
Explain to children who might be overwhelmed by the enormity of the world’s problems that by helping just one person in need, you are making a measurable difference for Christ’s Kingdom. The antidote to a feeling of powerlessness is action. You may not be able to help everyone in the world – but you can help one!
Go On a Media “Fast”
Being aware of what’s going on in the world is important. But hours spent in front of the TV obsessing on details of the latest weather disaster or terrorist bombing doesn’t serve God or improve the situation. Balance your news diet with lighter entertainment. Spend time in non-TV related activities. Socialize with friends, head to the gym, or better yet, pray. These activities counter feelings of helplessness and inertia. They also help you keep things in their proper perspective.
Set Goals
Having a worthwhile goal to work toward fills you with a sense of power and purpose. Working toward a goal that also glorifies God will not only take your mind off all the gloom and doom, but will energize you as you become part of the solution to what ails our planet.
Take the Eternal View
The Bible speaks of the kind of terrible events we are witnessing today. Mark 13:6-8, Jesus speaks about the abomination of desolation:
“When you hear of wars and rumours of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains (NIV).”
Women have described the pain of childbirth as feeling like death throes. But we know that labour pains are necessary to bring forth new life. The verses in Matthew describe in harrowing detail just how bad things will get in the days before Jesus returns. The events we’re witnessing now are least in part what Jesus means when he talks about “birth pains.”
Corrie Ten Boom, the Dutch woman who lost her family to the Nazi death camps, and who herself barely escaped death at Ravensbruck Concentration Camp, endured incalculable suffering and loss. She witnessed evil firsthand. Yet, she emerged from the experience with her faith in tact. Her assertion that “There is no pit so deep that God’s love is not deeper still" remains one of the most inspiring statements uttered by a Christian in the 20th century. Corrie Ten Boom could have succumbed to despair, could have chosen to believe the worst about God . . . but instead, she took the eternal view.
Yes, the airwaves are rife with heartbreaking images of war, terrorism and human cruelty on an unprecedented scale. But Matthew 24:30-31 contains an image of surpassing hope:
“At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. 31And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other (NIV).”
Finally, consider Jesus’ promise to all of us determined to remain faithful in these scary times:
“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world (John 16:33 NIV)."
Hold on to Jesus’ promises. He will deliver us from evil.
Roberta Rand Caponey is Senior Editor at Family Life Communications in Tucson, AZ. She is formerly Online Editor of Focus Over 50.
11. In Memory Of A Woman Who Chose Life – October 21, 2007
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12. It Wouldn't Be Christmas Without 'Noëlle' – October 31, 2007
The One Movie You're Sure to Fall in Love with This Christmas
LOS ANGELES,October 31 /Standard Newswire/ – "If you're fond of sand dunes, and salty air, quaint little villages, here and there," you're sure to fall in love with Gener8Xion Entertainment's latest release, Noëlle.
A fully integrated family/faith-based entertainment company, Gener8Xion Entertainment, Inc. recently announced that Noëlle – its newest acquisition, a Volvo Films production – will open in select theatres nationwide on December 7th...just in time for Christmas. A cross between Waking Ned Devine and It's a Wonderful Life, Noëlle is an enchanting family drama set against the breathtaking, icy backdrop of a tiny, sand- dunned Cape Cod village.
Amid the homey imagery made famous in Patti Page's classic tune Old Cape Cod, Noëlle inspires viewers to ask themselves not what they are doing, but why they are doing it. Laced with comedy, mystery, and a splash of romance, Noëlle is a stirring motion picture that will entertain and challenge the hearts of young and old alike.
The movie's story revolves around Father Jonathan Keene (played by the film's writer, director, and producer, David Wall). A cold, impatient Catholic priest, Keene arrives in a tiny fishing village the week before Christmas to do what he does best: shut down a dying parish. But he quickly becomes entangled in the lives of the village's eccentric characters – among them, the childlike priest (Sean Patrick Brennan) he is replacing, and a beautiful librarian (Kerry Wall) who harbours a secret that could profoundly change Keene's life.
Award winning director David Wall flexes his dramatic skills as he seamlessly glides from Charlie Chaplin- like tumbles in the snow, to dialogue reminiscent of Richard Burton in his heyday.
"The film is not only about discovering who we really are; it is about realizing who we are not," says Wall.
A movie not to be missed, Noëlle will leave no one untouched this Christmas season. It is a film that soars far above the usual feel good Christmas flick, offering authentic, real-life challenges that are sure to resonate with viewers.
"We believe that everyone deserves a second chance," says Matt Crouch, chairman and CEO of Gener8Xion Entertainment. "Noëlle is a film about hope - a story that will inspire everyone to realize that a second chance is always an option in this life."
About Gener8Xion Entertainment
Gener8Xion Entertainment, Inc. (OTC BB: GNXE.OB – News) is an integrated media company engaged in various operating activities including feature film and television production and distribution, sales and rentals of film and video equipment, systems integration and studio facility management. CEO and chairman of Gener8Xion Entertainment, Inc., Matthew Crouch first won the acclaim of audiences and critics alike with the 1999 runaway hit The Omega Code, named that year's top limited release motion picture by Hollywood's Daily Variety. Warner Brothers called The Omega Code the "grandfather" of inspirational movies. In 2006, One Night With The King, eclipsed Omega in beauty, drama, and inspiration. Interested investors are invited to visit the following web page to request an investor relations kit, receive GNXE press releases by email immediately upon release, and/or have an investor relations representative contact them directly: http://8x.ir.stockpr.com/request_info .
For more information, please visit www.8x.com or www.Noëllethemovie.com.13. Let Marriage Be Marriage, By Father Raymond J. De Souza – October 18, 2007
National Post – Published: Thursday, October 18, 2007
In a new series beginning this week, National Post writers will answer a simple question: If you could change a single thing about Canada, what would it be? In today's instalment, argues that we should help Canadian families by strengthening the institution of marriage.
A single thing that would fix Canada? A tough assignment that. How about one thing that might solve a lot of problems, which Canada faces?
When I was studying economic policy 15 years ago, the great social policy problem was "the feminization of poverty." That term is rarely heard today, replaced by concern over "child poverty." The two are just flip sides of the same coin -- children who live in single-parent homes, usually with their mothers, have a much higher incidence of poverty. That's why we talk not about poverty in general, but women and children in poverty. Single women with children are more likely to be poor, and poor women have poor children.
The social outcomes of child poverty are well-known – poorer health, lower educational attainment, higher unemployment, greater incidence of crime – to say nothing of the childhood innocence robbed from many such children.
The latest census data, released last month, indicated that things are likely to get worse. The front-page news was that, for the first time, marriage was in the minority position, having been overtaken by cohabiting couples, divorced adults and single-parent families. The data also showed that cohabiting couples break up more frequently than married couples do. Couples, who cohabit first, then marry; also have a significantly higher rate of divorce than married couples who did not cohabit. All this, given an already high general divorce rate, means that the likelihood of children growing up in a home with two adults, let alone their own parents, is diminishing. There is hardly a social problem that is not going to be made worse by these trends.
How then to fix it? What can be done to stabilize Canadian families, which is the best way to reduce women and children living in poverty?
One thing would be for our marriage laws and social policies to treat marriage as marriage, and not to treat non-married couples as married.
Marriage law in Canada today does not in fact recognize the basic reality of marriage – that it is intended to be an enduring, permanent commitment. Forty years of no-fault divorce have made marriage the only contract, which is unilaterally breakable by either party, for any reason, without penalty. All civil laws provide for marriage dissolution, but the no-fault easy divorce regime makes it more difficult to make the investments and sacrifices required for stable marriages. The easier it is to get out of marriage, the less economic sense it makes to invest in the marriage and family. The easier it is to get out, the less commitment is required to get in.
At the very least, for marriages with children some provisions of fault and penalty should be restored in the case of divorce. The best social policy for children is an intact family, and the no-fault regime undermines family stability.
The recent census also highlighted that many marriages never form in the first place, with cohabitation replacing marriage in an increasing number of cases. It is not clear what interest the state has in promoting cohabitation, which it does by treating such couples as married in terms of tax law and social policy. In fact, by extending the benefits of marriage to couples who have elected not to marry, the state actively undermines marriage. Given that our census data now confirms the relative instability of such relationships, even in a subsequent marriage, public policy should not be encouraging them. Encouraging cohabitation is even worse for children than the easy divorce regime.
One thing to fix Canada? Let marriage be marriage. That means not treating non-married couples as equivalent to married ones. If the benefits of marriage are sought from the state, the state in turn should require the presumption of stability that marriage brings. Letting marriage be marriage also means taking marriage vows seriously in law; the promise of an enduring marriage should mean something. Easy divorce means cheap marriage, and that is too high a price for children in poverty to pay.
© National Post 2007
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/columnists/story.html?id=b8b48db5-768d-4961-9022-2577ef5dc042
14. Lifeissues.net Newsletter #345 – October 14, 2007
Greetings from LifeIssues.net (www.lifeissues.net)
Dear Friends for Life,
Bolivia: More than 20,000 people marched recently through the streets of Sucre in Bolivia. They demanded that the Constitutional Assembly, meeting in that city, include protection for the unborn in the new Constitution it is drafting. Their manifesto also calls for recognition of the right to life from the moment of conception as well as protection of marriage as a union between one man and one woman.
CEDAW Persecutes Pro-Life Countries: Recently in New York at the UN the head of the CEDAW criticized Honduras for its pro-life law, telling its delegation that their ban on abortion is "a crime." In response, the Honduran representative reminded CEDAW that under its country's constitution unborn children have the same right as born children. CEDAW also pressed Belize, Brazil, Kenya and Liechtenstein to "reform" their abortion laws. Of interest also is that they pushed Brazil to recognize married homosexual couples. - Jerry Novotny, omi
Thought: "Too often have sins against humanity been justified in the name of 'justice' to women. Too often have we heard women claim to be working for 'women's rights' when they are actually working for 'women's wrongs.'" Helen Hull Hitchcock
Lifeissues.net Newsletter #345 – October 14, 2007
Table Of Contents:
1. Clergy Concurs On Burke's Communion Policy
2. Babies For Sale: The Scandal Of China's Brutal Single Child Policy
3. The World's Tiniest Baby - Meet The 10oz Bundle Of Defiance
4. UNICEF Among Sponsors Of New Campaign Promoting Abortion
5. Don't Suffer The Little Children
6. Ethical Blind Spots
7. Doctors Pull Plug, Comatose Woman Wakes Up
8. Responses To Certain Questions Concerning Artificial Nutrition And Hydration
9. Legal Tips For Us Parents To Protect Family Values From School Tampering
10. Thousands Of Spanish Families Boycott Homosexual Indoctrination Program
11. Malta Bishops Blast Abortion As Abortion Ship Director Speaks There
12. The Church And Assisted Procreation - Cautions For The "Infertile" Couple
Focus On Asia: Fourteen killed in Sri Lankan crossfire Clashes between government troops and LTTE rebels are shifting to the north after the military claimed in mid-July that the whole Eastern Province had been cleared of rebels. Claiming discrimination at the hands of the Sinhala majority, the LTTE has been fighting the government since the mid-1980s to establish a separate homeland for the minority Tamils in the north and east. http://www.worldpress.org/link.cfm?http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/90851/6280456.html
Item #1. Clergy Concurs On Burke's Communion Policy
The Confraternity of Catholic Clergy (national association of 600 priests & deacons) publicly endorses the rationale of Archbishop Raymond Burke (St. Louis) to deny Holy Communion to politicians who obstinately and openly support abortion or euthanasia. We respectfully urge all his brother bishops to universally and decisively support this initiative at the upcoming General Assembly of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in November.
View full article at Christian Newswire: http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/205774406.html
Item #2. Babies For Sale: The Scandal Of China's Brutal Single Child Policy
Lying on a Spartan bed, feeding her tiny daughter from a bottle, teenager Wai Ling describes her heartbreaking dilemma. Under China's strict birth-control laws, Wai Ling, 19, and her boyfriend, 21, are too young to get married - and without being married they can't register their daughter's birth. They could bribe a state official to turn a blind eye, but that would cost far more than they could ever afford - half a year's salary of ’1,300.
View full text at Daily Mail:
Item #3. The World's Tiniest Baby - Meet The 10oz Bundle Of Defiance
When she was born, 15 weeks premature and weighing ten and a half ounces, her father's confidence was about the only thing on Kimberly Mueller's side. In the few snatched moments he was allowed before his daughter was whisked away by doctors, Andreas Mueller spoke from his heart. "I whispered to her: 'Kimberly, you'll make it,'" he recalled.
View full text at Daily Mail: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=484264&in_page_id=1811
Item #4. UNICEF Among Sponsors Of New Campaign Promoting Abortion
An international initiative focussing on maternal and child health has been launched by NGOs and agencies of the UN. Deliver Now for Women and Children includes safe (i.e. legal) abortion as a service necessary to cut the maternal death rate, but is using unreliable statistics to support this approach, LifeSite reports. Pro-family groups are concerned that, by focusing on unsafe abortions, attention is drawn away from the major health risks to pregnant women in the developing world, such as severe bleeding, eclampsia and obstructed labour. Also ignored is the fact that developed countries with restricted abortion have low maternal mortality. Although it denies supporting abortion, UNICEF is one of the sponsors of the campaign and Kul Gautam, deputy director, is chairman of the co-ordinating body.
View full text at C-FAM.org: http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/oct/07100407.html
Item #5. Don't Suffer The Little Children
A father of four explains the realist approach to parenting.
View full text at CERC: http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/parenting/pa0128.htm
Item #6. Ethical Blind Spots
Walking through a place like Dachau or Auschwitz, one wonders: could it ever happen again? Could a similar scenario play out today in middle-class America? Most would instinctively say "no" - after all, we live in a more enlightened time and culture. A more perceptive eye, however, can discern troubling parallels. Nowhere are these parallels more evident than in the bioethical issues of our day. Our society, in fact, faces virtually the same temptation that Germany did: the temptation to normalize certain well-scripted death operations in the midst of polite society.
If we look within our own culture and within our own time, we will see that suction machines have replaced smokestacks, and that Fertility Clinics and Women's Health Centers have replaced the barbed wire. Unborn humans and embryonic children are now dispatched with the same desensitized ease as camp inhabitants once were, and ne'er a word is mentioned in respectable society. Our great universities, which need to serve as a moral voice, remain mute or even foster such evil, as does the press, and few dare mention the pall of death that quietly permeates the air.
See the full article at CERC: http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/medical_ethics/me0107.htm
Item #7. Doctors Pull Plug, Comatose Woman Wakes Up
Imagine being 31 years old and having to make the agonizing decision to discontinue the life-support keeping your comatose spouse alive. Now imagine that spouse waking up and asking for Mexican food.
Full Article at Today: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20689992/
Item #8. Responses To Certain Questions Concerning Artificial Nutrition And Hydration
On August 1, 2007, The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued responses to two questions concerning the 2004 address of Pope John Paul II, "Life-Sustaining Treatments and the Vegetative State: Scientific Progress and Ethical Dilemmas."
Full Article at NCBC: http://www.ncbcenter.org/07-09-14-Nutrition-Hydation.asp
Item #9. Legal Tips For Us Parents To Protect Family Values From School Tampering
With the school year getting underway, the law firm of Mauck & Baker has prepared a list of opportunities and rights to inform parents how to help reinforce the values taught in their homes in the public schools.
View entire text at LifeSite: http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/sep/07090703.html
Item #10. Thousands Of Spanish Families Boycott Homosexual Indoctrination Program
Spain's socialist government is facing a bitter back-to-school fight this September as thousands of families boycott the pro-homosexual course "Education for Citizenship and Human Rights".
View entire text at LifeSite: http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/sep/07090501.html
Item #11. Malta Bishops Blast Abortion As Abortion Ship Director Speaks There
As the director of the pro-abortion group that operates the abortion ship arrives for a speech on the island nation, Malta's leading Catholic bishops are making it clear that it should oppose abortion. The abortion ship has targeted the people of Ireland, Portugal and Poland and Malta could be next because of its pro-life laws.
View entire text at LifeNews.com: http://www.lifenews.com/int466.html
Item #12. The Church And Assisted Procreation – Cautions For The "Infertile" Couple
Today, many different techniques of "assisted" human procreation are lumped together: fertility drugs, sperm enrichment, sperm capacitation, artificial insemination, gamete intra-Fallopian transfer, in vitro fertilization (IVF), pre-implantation diagnosis, and even reproductive cloning. In a strict sense, though, some of these techniques assist procreation, while others substitute for it. The distinction between assisting and substituting points to what is ethical and what is not.
View entire text at LifeIssues.net: http://www.lifeissues.net/writers/cio/cio_01assistedprocreation.html
Get Involved:
1. Be Informed: "My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge." Hosea 4:6. Go to Lifeissues.net: http://www.lifeissues.net .
2. Pray Daily: for the courage to be God's presence in society and strongly support those who are deemed "unworthy of life". "If My people who are called by My Name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14
3. Be Involved: "Journey for Life into the Heart of Asia" is a project, which appeals for donations to help finance travel expenses for talks to developing countries in Asia. Strong focus is placed on reaching Asian Catholic Major Seminaries, Schools and Family related groups. A series of lectures places emphasis on "The Asian Family at Crossroads: Trends and Challenges". For inquires about no-cost Pro Life Talks to your group within Asia: contact Fr. Jerry at jerry@star.quolia.com . To become a supportive Missionary participant for Human Life in Asia, kindly send your donations directly to: Fr. Jerry Novotny, OMI; LifeIssues.net, Editor; Akebono-cho 1-15-9; Kochi City, Japan, 780-8072; (or transfer donation directly to ProLife bank account: Jerome Novotny, Shikoku Bank, Asakura Branch, No. 102-1-0080824)
Contact Editor: Jerry Novotny, OMI; Akebono-cho 1-15-9; Kochi City, Japan, 780-8072; Tel/Fax: 088-843-0406; E-Mail:jerry@lifeissues.net .
Websites by Editor:
EnglishLifeIssues Site: http://www.lifeissues.net,
Japanese LifeIssues Site: http://www.japan-lifeissues.net,
OMI Site: http://www.omijapankorea.net/index.html.
15. Lifeissues.Net Newsletter #346 – October 21, 2007
Greetings from LifeIssues.net (www.lifeissues.net)
Dear Friends for Life,
This week Colleen Parro sends the following alarming news - "A Scientist developing artificial life form". It reads as follows: A disturbing report on October 8, 2007 in the Lorain, Ohio newspaper, The Morning Journal, began this way; “Perhaps as early as today, people will have to start dealing with a new development as awesomely powerful and perhaps as potentially dangerous as the nuclear bomb.”
The potential danger comes from a new development by scientist Craig Venter, described by the Journal as a 'DNA wizard.' He is the super-scientist who several years ago first spelled out the entire 3 billion 'letter' code for human life written in every cell of our bodies. Now, he told The Guardian, a British newspaper, he and his team have taken chemicals off the shelf and 'built' an artificial chromosome, containing 381 genes made up of 580,000 base pairs of the genetic code. The artificial gene is to be plugged into a bacterium, where Venter expects it to take control, effectively turning it into a new and different life form. He has already applied for a patent for the new life form.
The problems inherent in this sort of research are obvious. As The Morning Journal points out, the question is 'How can people be trusted to harness artificial life when people can’t properly handle nuclear power?' or effectively control the spread of fire, even after thousands of years?
Why is the U.S. government awarding patents for life forms, as if they were mechanical inventions or products to be sold?
Never forget that you were once an embryo. – Jerry Novotny, omi
Thought:
Lifeissues.net Newsletter #346 – October 21, 2007
Table Of Contents:
1. Assisted Suicide Group Is Scourge Of The Neighbourhood
2. Babies At A Premium: Canadian Women Opting Out Of Motherhood
3. Mps Told Home Abortions Are Safe
4. Science Without Regard For Ethics?
5. 400,000 People, And No Media?
6. Talking Them To Death
7. Gay Couples Head To Us For Designer Babies
8. Whatever Happened To Common Sense At The End Of Life?
9. Volunteers Agree To Be There When Time Comes
10. Catholic Group To Campaign For Study Of Adult Stem Cells
11. Scottish Parliament: Poll Of MSPS Shows Shift On Assisted Dying
Focus On Asia: Asia: Charity now looks to China
Sister Nirmala, successor to Mother Teresa, says her charitable organization here plans to open its first home for the poor in mainland China. The new home will accommodate impoverished people, especially orphans, people with disabilities and the elderly, she added. http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200709060057.html
Item #1. Assisted Suicide Group Is Scourge Of The Neighbourhood
Comment: he author of the following either hasn't done his homework or isn't a fan of truth telling. He makes no mention of the condition of the flat nor relates that the assisted suicides were everything but so-called dignified deaths. From reports I've read about their clinic, Dignitas's filthy flat resembled a veterinarian's stark euthanasia room, only cleaner! – Cheryl CHN
View full article at digitaljournal:
http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/239278/Assisted_suicide_group_is_scourge_of_the_neighbourhood
Item #2. Babies At A Premium: Canadian Women Opting Out Of Motherhood
Babies, it seems, are becoming an endangered species.
In a number of countries including Canada, diminishing fertility rates are threatening the very existence of society, as we know it. Most of Europe, Scandinavia, many countries in Asia, Australia, and dozens of other nations are experiencing birth rates well below replacement levels. Japan, with a rate of just 1.26, has the lowest baby deficit in the world.
View full text at epochtimes.com: http://en.epochtimes.com/news/7-10-11/60639.html
Item #3. Mps (Members Of Parliament) Told Home Abortions Are Safe
Currently, women seeking an early termination – up to nine weeks – take two tablets under medical supervision. The Independent Advisory Group on Sexual Health and HIV recommendations emerged as part of an inquiry into the UK's 40-year-old abortion legislation. However, the Department of Health said there were no plans to the change the law.
The two abortion pills, mifepristone and misoprostol, are not licensed to be used in the home and the second drug can only legally be given by a registered medical professional.
View full text at BBC News: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7041004.stm
Item #4. Science Without Regard For Ethics?
Legionary Father Joseph Tham has strong credentials as an expert on bioethical issues: Before becoming a priest, he earned degrees in mathematical sciences and in medicine and worked for several years as a family physician.
Now a professor of bioethics at the Regina Apostolorum University in Rome, Father Tham spoke recently with Register correspondent Edward Pentin about Britain’s controversial decision last month authorizing the creation of human-animal hybrid embryos for medical research.
What are the moral implications of allowing research into human-animal hybrid embryos?
View full text at NCR: http://ncregister.com/site/article/6273
Item #5. 400,000 People, And No Media?
The following column addresses issues of homosexuality and is written to inform adults. It contains graphic descriptions of the Folsom Street Fair, an annual sexually charged, perverse event in San Francisco with mostly homosexual participants. The column shows what is at stake in the cultural battle and what the future holds for the society and our children if activists succeed in defining homosexuality as a protected status.
View full text at Baptist Press: http://www.afa.net/sites/bp_10052007.html
Item #6. Talking Them To Death
In a new twist on suicide counselling hotlines, Compassion and Choices of California is offering terminally ill patients suicide counselling. Except on this hotline patients will be told how and why they should kill themselves. Literally counselled into killing themselves.
[Compassion and Choices] has decided to focus on advising terminally ill patients how to kill themselves – Volunteers with health care backgrounds will screen callers to a toll-free telephone number for mental competency before spelling out options for a peaceful death that include how to end their lives quickly.
For those that may not know, Compassion and Choices is a newly christened name for two organizations that promote suicide, euthanasia, and mercy killing. In 2004 Compassion in Dying and End-of-Life Choices (formerly the Hemlock Society) merged to form Compassion and Choices. Since Compassion and Choices, business is suicide and euthanasia, and because California will not legalize assisted suicide, they’re trying to find ways around the law, and still promote their cause.
See the full article at longingheart.wordpress.com: http://lifeissues.net/control_panel/news_info.php
Item #7. Gay Couples Head To Us For Designer Babies
IVF pioneer Dr Jeffrey Steinberg said an increasing number of gay and lesbian Australians were visiting his Californian fertility centre to begin a family and side-step Australian law that prohibits surrogacy.
"We see about two or three gay couples from Australia each month and that's about a five-fold increase over the last two years," he told The Sunday Mail.
Dr Steinberg said between 75 per cent and 80 per cent of same-sex couples who came to him for treatment decided to choose the sex of the baby, using the controversial IVF procedure and embryo screening known as Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis.
Full Article at news.com.au: http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22579567-421,00.html
Item #8. Whatever Happened To Common Sense At The End Of Life?
Nancy Valko has written an analysis of end-of-life rhetoric and the meaning behind it.
Full Article at LifeIssues.net: http://www.lifeissues.net/writers/val/val_31commonsense.html
Item #9. Volunteers Agree To Be There When Time Comes
Comment: This is what hospice should be about ... not involved with euthanasia, but to be with those who are living, listening to them relive their life. I remember one patient I visited as a hospice volunteer who grabbed my hand as I was about to leave and asked me to please stay - she didn't want to die alone. She slipped in and out of conciseness in the hours that I stayed. I felt very bad that I had finally had to leave. I told a nurse I had promised to stay, but after 10 hours I needed to leave. I don't know if anyone was with her when she passed away just before sunrise the next morning - but I know she did not want to die alone. She had no close relatives and had outlived her friends. This is a common story. I miss volunteering very much. The rewards were greater than you may think. – Cheryl, CHN
View entire text at The Sun Chronicle: http://www.thesunchronicle.com/articles/2007/10/14/news/news2.txt
Item #10. Catholic Group To Campaign For Study Of Adult Stem Cells
The Michigan Catholic Conference will launch a major education campaign this week aimed at promoting support for research using adult stem cells and clarifying the church's opposition to embryonic stem cell research. The campaign "Finding Cures & Protecting Life," described as the largest in history for the conference, includes the distribution of a stem cell DVD and supporting materials to more than 500,000 Catholic households in Michigan and encourages 800 parishes around the state to focus on the issue.
View entire text at freep.com: http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070930/NEWS06/709300692
Item #11. Scottish Parliament: Poll Of MSPS Shows Shift On Assisted Dying
There is growing support in the Scottish Parliament for legalising assisted suicide. A survey conducted by The Herald showed nearly a quarter of members of the Scottish Parliament supported a change in the law to allow physician-assisted suicide, while a further 20% were undecided. A bill was put forward in 2005 that would have allowed terminally ill, mentally capable patients to request medical assistance to die, but it did not receive enough support for discussion. Jeremy Purvis of the Liberal Democrats who proposed the law is considering a fresh attempt in the new parliament.
View entire text at The Herald: http://mail.google.com/mail/
Get Involved:
1. Be Informed: "My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge." Hosea 4:6. Go to Lifeissues.net: http://www.lifeissues.net.
2. Pray Daily: for the courage to be God's presence in society and strongly support those who are deemed "unworthy of life". "If My people who are called by My Name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14
3. Be Involved: "Journey for Life into the Heart of Asia" is a project, which appeals for donations to help finance travel expenses for talks to developing countries in Asia. Strong focus is placed on reaching Asian Catholic Major Seminaries, Schools and Family related groups. A series of lectures places emphasis on "The Asian Family at Crossroads: Trends and Challenges". For inquires about no-cost Pro Life Talks to your group within Asia: contact Fr. Jerry at jerry@star.quolia.com.
To become a supportive Missionary participant for Human Life in Asia, kindly send your donations directly to: Fr. Jerry Novotny, OMI; LifeIssues.net, Editor; Akebono-cho 1-15-9; Kochi City, Japan, 780-8072; (or transfer donation directly to ProLife bank account: Jerome Novotny, Shikoku Bank, Asakura Branch, No. 102-1-0080824)
Contact Editor: Jerry Novotny, OMI; Akebono-cho 1-15-9; Kochi City, Japan, 780-8072; Tel/Fax: 088-843-0406; E-Mail:jerry@lifeissues.net
Websites by Editor:
English LifeIssues Site:http://www.lifeissues.net,
Japanese LifeIssues Site:http://www.japan-lifeissues.net,
OMI Site:http://www.omijapankorea.net/index.html.
16. Lifeissues.Net Newsletter #347 – October 28, 2007
Greetings from LifeIssues.net (www.lifeissues.net)
Dear Friends for Life,
RU-486 And Cytotec: The first drug, RU-486, mifepristone, kills the baby. This second drug, Cytotec, misoprostal, causes contractions of the uterus and expels the baby parts. The maker of Cytotec, Pfizer, has said publicly and repeatedly that it is not indicated for abortions. "We would not recommend it outside of the use for stomach ulcers." "We cannot vouch for the drug=D5s safety when it is misused by abortion practitioners, as such miscarriages can be dangerous." Indeed, women have died from using the abortion drug in the U.S., Canada, Sweden, and elsewhere.
World Congress Of Families in Warsaw: Its closing declaration stated that various threats to the family in Europe are creating a demographic winter that can only be healed by the protection and nurturing of the natural family. Healthy natural families are the natural essence of a community of love and life and only this can produce a rebirth of society. The congress called for governments to mainstream the family as public policy and to protect every human from conception to natural death, as well as to defend the fundamental rights of parents to bring up their children. – Jerry Novotny, omi Thought: Amazing World Clock... http://www.poodwaddle.com/worldclock.swf
Lifeissues.Net Newsletter #347 – October 28, 2007
Table Of Contents:
1. Pro-Life Group: Canada's Bishops Should Address Abortion, Communion
2. New HIV Cases Among Married Couples In Thailand Increasing
3. Death Penalty "Utterly Obnoxious", PM
4. American Life League Says Birth Control Pill Can Kill; Suggests Legal Action
5. Love Isn't Enough: 5 Reasons Why Same-Sex Marriage Will Harm Children
6. Europe: 'Third Of Pregnancies Terminated'
7. Planned Parenthood's Guttmacher Institute Said To Play "Fast And Loose" With Abortion Stats
8. Two Underage Girls Pregnant A Week
9. Nobel Laureate To Chair Science And Ethics Institute
10. Planned Parenthood-UN Worldwide Abortion Study Draws Pro-Life Criticism
11. Prescribe 'The Pill' At Middle School?
Focus On Asia: Women Speak Out - "[The abortion] gave me grief and sorrow beyond expression. I have committed the most heinous of all crimes - I killed my own child. Yet, the Lord forgave me, just as he forgave Paul. Yet I will always regret what I did and will probably always feel grief. But I pray that my experience can somehow prevent other women from making the same fatal mistake. I'm a nurse now, so I wear my uniform to all the pro-life things I do!"
For information on healing after abortion, see www.SilentNoMoreAwareness.org.
Item #1. Pro-Life Group: Canada's Bishops Should Address Abortion, Communion
The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) meets next week for its annual Plenary Assembly and a leading pro-life group says they should take up the issue of pro-abortion politicians and communion. Vote Life Canada wants the bishops to call an emergency session to address what it calls an "ongoing scandal."
View full article at LifeNews.com: http://www.lifenews.com/int462.html
Item #2. New HIV Cases Among Married Couples In Thailand Increasing
Thawat Suntrajarn, chief of DDC, said the agency has a plan in place to prevent the spread of the virus, particularly among married couples. The DDC and Ministry of Public Health plan to provide 20 million condoms in hospitals to couples living with HIV/AIDS to combat the spread of the virus. In addition, the health ministry will provide HIV-positive people with 10 condoms monthly and antiretroviral drugs at no cost. DDC also will provide 10 condoms monthly to HIV-positive people who do not show symptoms and will encourage their partners to receive HIV tests.
Comment: If the HIV virus is 450 times smaller than a sperm, how can providing 20 million condoms in hospitals to couples (HIV patients and AIDS patients) combat the spread of the virus? – Editor
View full text at kaisernetwork.org:
http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=3D48171
Item #3. Death Penalty "Utterly Obnoxious", PM
Prime Minister Helen Clark marked World Day against the Death Penalty by calling the practice "utterly obnoxious" and vowed the government will push for a global death penalty moratorium. Ms Clark said the Government will be working with other abolitionist countries on a resolution on abolition of the death penalty to be considered by the UN General Assembly later this year. "The resolution will ask countries to implement a global moratorium on executions as a first step towards the eventual abolition of the death penalty."
View full text at Epoch Times: http://en.epochtimes.com/news/7-10-15/60793.html
Item #4. American Life League Says Birth Control Pill Can Kill; Suggests Legal Action
In a press release from the American Life League, Andrew F. Flusche, J.D., recommended that Americans sue birth control pill manufacturers in order to protect the health of women throughout the United States. Even as lawsuits have forced increasing restrictions on the tobacco industry as a result of the number of deaths that can be directly tied to tobacco consumption, the birth control industry has managed to largely avoid the same scrutiny.
View full text at AC:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/413865/american_life_league_says_birth_control.html.
Item #5. Love Isn't Enough: 5 Reasons Why Same-Sex Marriage Will Harm Children
Proponents of same-sex marriage believe the only thing children really need is love. Based on that supposition, they conclude it's just as good for children to be raised by loving parents of the same sex, as it is to be raised by loving parents of the opposite sex. Unfortunately, that basic assumption - and all that flows from it - isn't true. Because love isn't enough!
View full text at Christian Newswire (Oct 15): http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/245974480.html
Item #6. Europe: 'Third Of Pregnancies Terminated'
A study by the Alan Guttmacher Institute and the World Health Organisation (WHO) suggests that 90% of women globally will have had an abortion by the age of 45, and that 20% of pregnancies are aborted. It estimated that 20 million "unsafe" abortions occurred in 2003, and that 97% of these were in developing regions or areas where the procedure is banned. Mr Paul Van Look, director of WHO's department of reproductive health and research, claimed that 70,000 women die each year as result of unsafe abortions. The report also claims that international abortion totals have dropped from 46 million in 1995 to under 42 million in 2003.
See the full article at ITN: http://itn.co.uk/news/b29ae755b205f79348d2b757737659d2.html
Item #7. Planned Parenthood's Guttmacher Institute Said To Play "Fast And Loose" With Abortion Stats
The Population Research Institute has questioned figures cited by the Alan Guttmacher Institute, which calls itself the research arm of Planned Parenthood. Mr Stephen Mosher, institute president, claims that it is impossible to know how many abortions are performed worldwide each year because only countries with socialised healthcare keep reliable statistics. Mr Mosher was told by the vice minister for health of Colombia that, since the legalization of abortion in that country in May last year, government clinics had performed about 50 abortions, whereas it had been claimed that 450,000 illegal abortions had been taking place each year. Mr Mosher suggests that abortion figures for the developing world "are simply bogus" and are used in an attempt to show that legalising abortions saves lives.
Full Article at LifeSite: http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/oct/07101109.html
Item #8. Two Underage Girls Pregnant A Week
A campaign providing contraceptives to teenagers has failed to curb the rate of teenage pregnancies in Lothian, which has the highest number of teenage pregnancies in Scotland. Figures show that teenage pregnancies were highest in most deprived areas. The Conservative health spokesperson said that the current policy was not working, and suggested that the girls might be choosing to become pregnant. A spokesman for the Catholic Church called for a change of direction in tackling the problem.
Full Article at News.scotsman.com: http://news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=3D1626042007
Item #9. Nobel Laureate To Chair Science And Ethics Institute
An institute has been set up to examine the social and ethical consequences of science and technology. The Institute of Science, Ethics and Innovation at the University of Manchester, UK, will investigate issues such as the genetic selection of human embryos and the conflicts of interest between parents, the unborn child, social groups and society, as well as the genetic manipulation of humans and animals, including hybrids. Sir John Sulston, a Nobel laureate who researched the human genome, will be chairman and Professor John Harris will be research director.
View entire text at Guardian: http://education.guardian.co.uk/higher/news/story/0,,2188782,00.html
Item #10. Planned Parenthood-UN Worldwide Abortion Study Draws Pro-Life Criticism
A new study conducted by a Planned Parenthood affiliate and released by a United Nations agency is continuing to draw intense criticism. The World Health Organization says the Alan Guttmacher Institute study shows abortions are just as frequent in nations where they are prohibited as those that legalize them.
View entire text at LifeNews.com: http://www.lifenews.com/int474.html
Item #11. Prescribe 'The Pill' At Middle School?
Student health officials say a broad contraceptive program is 'totally needed.'
View entire text at Portland Press Herald:
http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=3D140910&ac=3DPHnws
Get Involved:
1. Be Informed: "My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge." Hosea 4:6. Go to Lifeissues.net: http://www.lifeissues.net.
2. Pray Daily: for the courage to be God's presence in society and strongly support those who are deemed "unworthy of life". "If My people who are called by My Name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14
3. Be Involved: "Journey for Life into the Heart of Asia" is a project, which appeals for donations to help finance travel expenses for talks to developing countries in Asia. Strong focus is placed on reaching Asian Catholic Major Seminaries, Schools and Family related groups. A series of lectures places emphasis on "The Asian Family at Crossroads: Trends and Challenges". For inquires about no-cost Pro Life Talks to your group within Asia: contact Fr. Jerry at jerry@star.quolia.com.
To become a supportive Missionary participant for Human Life in Asia, kindly send your donations directly to: Fr. Jerry Novotny, OMI; LifeIssues.net, Editor; Akebono-cho 1-15-9; Kochi City, Japan, 780-8072; (or transfer donation directly to ProLife bank account: Jerome Novotny, Shikoku Bank, Asakura Branch, No. 102-1-0080824)
Contact Editor: Jerry Novotny, OMI; Akebono-cho 1-15-9; Kochi City, Japan, 780-8072; Tel/Fax: 088-843-0406; E-Mail: jerry@lifeissues.net
Websites by Editor: English LifeIssues Site:http://www.lifeissues.net,
Japanese LifeIssues Site:http://www.japan-lifeissues.net,
OMI Site:http://www.omijapankorea.net/index.html.
17. Memorial University, NF – MUNSU Meeting – October 17, 2007
Dear Friends for Life
I, accompanied by another MUN for LIFE member, went to the MUNSU meeting on Wednesday, October 17 to plead our cause for the third time. Since comments from the gallery are welcomed, I spoke about MUN for LIFE. I quoted NL Human Rights Code and a Supreme Court Judge to back up our claim that we have legal options, but would prefer to resolve this issue using non-confrontational approach to getting ratified. I refuted some of their claims regarding our public education efforts, for example the allegation concerning MUN for LIFE's unethical activities are unfounded slanderous claims without any evidence to back them up. Since they say that they don't want to give money, which all ratified groups are eligible to receive, I told them that we are not looking for money. I stressed that if MUNSU wishes to be truly inclusive, it must allow all people, regardless of their opinion on life issues, to organize on campus. I extended an olive branch to them and offered to work together.
James Farrell, MUNSU External Director, and one other MUNSU board member, replied with the usual "We disagree with you, therefore . . . " type lines.
Farrell also suggested that we lobby each member of the board directly. It is hard to do this because their individual contact information is not public. But, I did send the MUNSU office an email and a fax to invite all the board members to contact MUN for LIFE. No one has called or emailed me yet.
Long story short . . . MUNSU is not budging, yet.
MUNSU BY-ELECTION
There are a few vacancies on the board or directors. I thought it would be worthwhile to put my name forward in the current by-election to serve on the MUNSU board of directors as an Arts Representative. I filed my papers today and it looks as if I will be acclaimed. So, MUN for LIFE will have at lest one voice on the board. But, don't hold your breath. I will only be 1 out of 20-30 people.
If you want to join me on the Board, please submit you nomination papers by Wednesday. Nomination papers can be picked up at the MUNSU office, UC-2000. There are three vacancies left for Arts Representative (open only to arts students, IE Political Science, English, History etc . . .) and one left for Part-Time Students Representative (open only to those doing one or two courses this term.)
MORE POSITIVE NEWS
One of the purposes of MUN for LIFE is to raise awareness of issues surrounding things such as abortion and euthanasia. We are doing just this! Even though we are not ratified, and we have not had a public education campaign in a while, we are still getting people to talk about the issues. We have appeared in the media and we have been a topic of discussion between students.
Please continue to talk about the injustice of abortion whenever you get the chance. Also, please consider writing a letter to the Muse in our favour.
PETITION
I am hoping that more students will join me (by sitting in the gallery) at MUNSU meetings and in promoting our cause. I will be absent from the October 24 meeting, but if someone wishes to go and speak in my place, please call me at 579-1500.
I would really like to get a big attendance at the October 31 meeting. So, please bring your friends to the Council Chambers which are around the corner from UC-2000 at 5:00 P.M. on October 31.
On October 31, I hope to present a petition to MUNSU from students who support MUN for LIFE's right to speak out. So, please please, please print off the attached petition and get all the students you know to sign their names. Bring the petition with you to the meeting on October 31 or get it to me before then.
PLEASE FORWARD this email to all pro-lifers or free-speech advocates on the MUN campus.
Together we can save lives and help mothers!
Patrick Hanlon, President - MUN for LIFE18. New Sight Organization: Please Send Us Your Old Prescription Glasses And Lenses - October 21, 2007
It’s not often we get a chance to make such a huge difference in another persons life with such little effort.
Simply by sharing your old glasses you can literally change someone’s life. Your old glasses can mean the world to someone who needs them.
A trained volunteer assisting a recipient view a sight chart to make sure her new glasses are appropriate for her needs.
You may think that your old glasses aren’t worth anything to anyone but you would be surprised how many people could benefit from your gift.
For someone who can’t afford a pair of glasses, your gift might mean they are able to become a productive member of their community again or the option to continue a valuable family supporting vocation that would otherwise be lost due to poor sight.
To donate a pair of glasses you can contact your local Optometrist, Service Club or Eye Care Center to locate an appropriate organization who are collecting glasses for this purpose or simply send them to us and we will make sure they find their way to those who need them.
Each pair of glasses is tested for prescription strength, sorted and then distributed to someone who needs them. All we ask is that they be in good condition.
You may send your glasses to:
Karen and Earle Illsley
12 Glenlee Drive
Kentville, Nova Scotia
Canada, B4N4Y5
902-678-3791
theillsleys@eastlink.ca
In those days, abortion had yet to be legalized in America - that would come five years later. But even in 1967, it was readily available. It was the quick fix of choice for any and all who wanted to run from life.
That little baby would grow up to minister to unwed mothers. She would encourage untold numbers of adopted children to be grateful, content, and rejoicing in their circumstances because of the beautiful picture of spiritual adoption represented by their special, God-ordained placement in the homes of families that longed for them.
I was only two years old when a courageous woman chose not to abort the baby who would become Elizabeth Beall Phillips. And now for the fortieth birthday of my beloved esposita, I want to give praise to the Lord Jesus Christ for His mercies in crafting and giving to me a remarkable woman who knows from the depth of her soul that life is God's precious gift, and that, but for His amazing grace, she would have been one of the forty million American babies who never survived the bloody dagger of the abortionist.
Because she chose life, I have learned what it means to be deeply and desperately loved by a woman. I have experienced the joy of being a man whose wife delights in being a helpmeet suitable for me. I have drunk deeply from the font of happiness that comes to those who are blessed with life-mates who radiate contentedness.